


Lullabies and Arguments

by Littletee



Series: SS Beauty and the Beast: Remione [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Christmas, F/M, HP: EWE, Winter Solstice, Yule
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 12:50:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9072427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littletee/pseuds/Littletee
Summary: Hermione is spending her last Christmas Hols at 12 Grimmauld Place but so is Remus and little Teddy Lupin. Which wouldn't be a problem if she wasn't battling a crush on the lonely werewolf professor and if he wasn't actively avoiding her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter does not belong to LittleTee, (who shall henceforth be referred to as "The Author.") While the plot of this fanfiction, (henceforth to be referred to as the "Story,") is of The Author's creation, neither the characters nor the locations therein belong to The Author, as they belong to JK Rowling, with the exception of any characters or locations within this Story which have no representation in cannon-these original characters and locations are the property of The Author. This is a work of fiction produced for the single purpose of entertaining fans of Harry Potter, and no Copyright infringement is intended.

_"The snow, the snow is coming. So graceful and light. All over_ _every thing. Beautiful and white,"_ Hermione sang softly as she rocked little Teddy in time to the old lullaby. His hair a cross between her own color and his usual baby blue hair. Making him appear almost like a little punk angel. _"A thousand, thousand snow-flakes. They're swimming in the air: they fall upon the cherry-trees and hang like blossoms there."_

Like the song promised snow was coming but it wouldn't be that night.

No, instead of thousands of snowflakes blanketing the world in white, there would be a lunar perigee ushering in the winter solstice. The last one not only for the year but for the millennium.

_"They are coming, coming, coming as far as I can see; they 'light, like little fairy birds upon the old oak tree."_

It was the first day of Hermione's final winter hols and she, Harry, Professor Lupin, and Teddy were using the sanctuary of 12 Grimmauld Place for the holidays. It had been more of a plea than an invitation when Harry had offered her, Lupin and Teddy to be his guests. Not that it had shown in his tone or voice, but it had been clear in his eyes, and since she had no place to stay she had agreed. She hadn't known Lupin and Teddy would also be rooming with Harry. If she had she probably would have attempted surviving the fortnight alone at her vacant, abandoned childhood home. Surely there would have been a few can goods still within date.

_"Each flake of snow is pretty— a spangle or a gem; but they melt away in dew-drops—I can not treasure them."_

Over the previous weeks, Lupin had grown distant towards her, and his usual mild, friendly demeanor had turned curt and icy. He rarely called on her in class anymore. Nor did he comment on her work; either practical or theory. He had even requested for someone else to deliver his wolfsbane potion instead of her. Although he had no qualms about her continuing to brew it.

It was clear that he was avoiding her, as ridiculous as that notion was. Why a grown man, who was almost forty, might be afraid of a twenty-year-old girl she didn't know.

Could she have done or said something that had so obviously offended him?

She didn't think so, but as the days grew into weeks she was beginning to find herself lost in retrospection of everything she had done or said whenever she was near him. She feared that if she didn't stop reviewing and reanalyzing everything related to Lupin that she would soon craft false memories. Something she did not need. She already had to battle her nightly fantasies and desires, she did not need to fight false and angst-ridden memories too.

At least Teddy hadn't adopted his father's desire to avoid her. One Lupin was better than none.

 _"They melt beneath the sunbeam. They sink into the ground, and where they vanish, by-and-by, sweet flowers will be found."_ Hermione smiled down at Teddy who had just closed his eyes. It wouldn't be too long till he would be asleep and completely in dreamland. _"and I am told they moisten, and make the flowrets grow;"_

Lupin paused, his feet coming to rest on the top landing of the main stairs at Grimmauld and only a few yards away from his son's makeshift nursery, as a verse from the old lullaby drifted by him. It was oddly familiar and the soft, light voice could only belong to Hermione - Miss Granger. He refused to label it angelic, not that it didn't qualify - for it certainly did - but because he refused to begin going down that path. A path that would lead to something dangerous, unseemly, and  _sensual_.

Logically speaking he shouldn't find himself wanting Hermione yet he did despite it only been little over a year since he and Teddy had lost Dora. Not to mention she was barely twenty. That he was twice her age and that they were still student and professor.

He blamed the wolf. It had always been fond of her. Thankfully it hadn't begun to desire her till now. He would have committed himself long ago if he had developed untoward feelings about her when she was thirteen, or if she was still under seventeen. He might be a monster but he wasn't a pedophile.

 _"So, welcome, very welcome are the gentle flakes of snow."_ Hermione finished as she slowly laid a blissfully sleeping Teddy down into his cot. Making sure to cover him with the little yellow knitted blanket that Mrs. Weasley had crafted just for Teddy. It was charmed to help him stay warm and comfortable while having a small notification charm woven through it as well.

"Sleep well little one." she quietly whispered as she turned from her temporary charge to leave him to his slumber when she froze. Remus stood silently in the doorway. His eyes on Teddy. "Hello, Professor."

He frowned. "Remus," he corrected as he made his way over to his son's cot. Stopping and readjusting Teddy's blanket. "Thank you."

However, Hermione didn't hear his soft thanks. She had already left. Not wanting to impose on the few minutes Remus had with Teddy before the moon.

* * *

 

Hermione sighed as she stretched and straightened. Her eyes reflexively straying to the old mantel clock. Only twenty minutes before it would be Christmas. She should be nestled warmly in her bed and dreaming, not sitting cross-legged on an old threadbare sofa surrounded by various texts and parchments.

She had taken residence in the Black family library after leaving Teddy and Remus with the excuse that she needed to tackle her holiday assignments. It was not a lie exactly, she did need to complete her assorted essays and assignments, but she could have done that really anywhere. She just wanted the solace and peace the library promised. The truth of the matter was she was hiding.

Hiding from Remus and herself.

The argument from two days ago still fresh and plaguing her. The morning after the full moon. Harry had been called away to the Ministry during the night and hadn't returned till later that evening. She had cooked breakfast for herself, Teddy and Remus. After feeding Teddy and depositing him into his playpen with his teddy bear and blocks, she had taken Remus his tray. Something that shouldn't have been an issue. Something that shouldn't have had them yelling at each other.

But it had.

He had been the first to raise his voice and she had tried to stay rational but after being pinned to his wall, the breakfast she had worked to fix and bring him ruined - scattered across his floor - she found herself fighting his fire with her own.

"What is your problem?!" she demanded, trying to ignore how close he was or how his strong scent of sandalwood and assorted herbs was attacking her senses. Nor the heat that was spreading through her mingled with a desire to kiss him.

His eyes flashed golden amber for an instant before he growled, "You."

"Wha-"

His lips capturing her's successfully silenced her.

It wasn't a tender kiss or a rough one but rather a demanding kiss and was over way too soon in Hermione's opinion.

Remus pushed himself back and away from her. His eyes back to his normal green.

"I shouldn't... We shouldn't have." he began, before running a hand through his hair and turning away from her and waved his wand to clean up the spilled food and broken glass.

Blinking she stood there for a beat, watching the animated glass shards coming back together. They had kissed.

They had kissed and it had been electric, and it meant - she hoped - that maybe, just maybe he returned her feelings.

Or could. She would settle with could.

"I will talk to McGonagall about finding someone else for Defense."

Wait, what?

"No," she objected as she finally moved, "you are one of - no, the best - Defense Against the Dark Arts professors. What we did-"

"Was wrong."

"No, was natural."

"Natural?"

"Yes, I'm a woman you're a man. We are like-minded and it's the morning after a powerful moon. It is only natural for your more basic instants to kick in." She pushed the disappointment that he would have probably done the same with any woman down.

He waved her statement off. "Natural doesn't make me kissing you, a student under my charge, any less wrong Hermione."

She sighed and sucked on her lip for a second before squaring her shoulders and meeting his gaze. "Then I'll just have to request to take my Defense NEWTs early."

No doubt he would have argued the matter more if Teddy hadn't chosen to cry at that insistent giving Hermione the perfect opportunity to turn and leave.

Later that day, after she and Remus verified that Teddy was indeed fine, she had sent a owl to Headmistress McGonagall requesting the option to challenge her Defense NEWTs when she returned after the holidays. McGonagall promptly replied back with Hermione's challenge date and time.

As the clock struck midnight and the bells chimed in Christmas Hermione contemplated how she would approach Remus for he was clearly not coming to her. She wasn't going to seduce him, it would probably be laughable and awkward if she tried - she wasn't sexually experienced or confident like Ginny or Lavender - but she did want to get closer to him and get to know Remus on a more intimate level than just a student-teacher relationship offered.

Maybe she should owl Ginny for advice.


End file.
